


Fiction

by eternal_song



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Alternate Universe - Shiritsu Horitsuba Gakuen, Drinking, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Idiots in Love, KuroFai Olympics 2020, M/M, Mutual Pining, Our Fai is Fai, Sort Of, Team Fluff, Yuui is so done with Fai's shit, disaster bi Fai, disaster gay Kurogane, not safe for newbies/nick, original Fai is Yuui, rated for Kurogane's potty mouth, realistic sibling dynamics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:14:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25961143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eternal_song/pseuds/eternal_song
Summary: “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.” ― Albert CamusFai doesn't want his father to know that he's still single. Kurogane doesn't want his family to set him up with someone at his cousin's wedding. They've been friends and coworkers at Horitsuba Gakuen for years. It just makes sense to help each other out, right? Yuui and Tomoyo think they're idiots.Written for the Kurofai Olympics 2020. I'm on Team Fluff, with the prompt "Fake Relationship."
Relationships: Fay D. Fluorite & Original Fay, Fay D. Fluorite/Kurogane, Kurogane & Tomoyo
Comments: 17
Kudos: 44
Collections: 2020 KuroFai Olympics - Fluff vs Angst





	Fiction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is, technically, only chapter 1 of 2. The writer's block hit me hard and I, like a fool, planned an entire fucking romcom movie. I have the whole thing outlined, but there was no way to get it all finished, and I wanted to end part one in a satisfying point, like an intermission. I hope that you still enjoy this, and I plan to post chapter 2 as soon as voting ends.
> 
> A huge thank you to my sis Littlefuzzydude for inspiring the sibling banter (and editing I guess) and to Crystalrequiem for the thorough beta reading.

When Kurogane entered the faculty lounge and came face to face with the sight of Fai slumped over the table with his arms outstretched and face pressed into the faux wood surface, he considered walking right back out again. It would mean forgoing his usual midmorning cup of tea, but sometimes sacrifices were necessary. Yūi sat beside his twin and rubbed his shoulder absently as he scrolled through his phone. He looked up at Kurogane and gave him a slight grimace of a smile before nodding at Fai and rolling his eyes. Well, at least that meant that this was Fai being his dramatic self, and that nothing was actually wrong. Kurogane could deal with that.

Wandering into the kitchenette, he filled the kettle and flipped it on before pulling two mugs and two boxes of teabags from the cabinet above. One box contained a nice  _ sencha _ , and the other was some strange herbal tea with chamomile, mint, and valerian that Fai liked. It was supposed to be soothing, but Kurogane doubted that any amount of tea could calm the idiot when he got going. Once the kettle clicked off, he poured the water over the tea bags with the ease of long practice. Dumping two sugar packets into Fai’s mug, he brought the tea over to the table and sat down heavily on the blond’s free side.

“All right, out with it.” Kurogane set Fai’s mug in front of the man’s hand, which still splayed across the laminate, and wrapped the long, pale fingers around the handle. “Whatever it is, it can’t be that bad if your brother’s this calm.”

“I am the paragon of calm in a crisis, thank you very much,” Yūi said, squeezing his brother’s shoulder, “but he truly is making a mountain out of a molehill this time.”

“I am not!” Fai lifted his head to scowl at his brother. His reading glasses were askew, so the glare was even less effective than normal. He adjusted them and, noticing the mug in his hand for the first time, turned a grateful look at Kurogane before he lifted the tea to his mouth and took a slow sip. “Wow, Kuro-tan, this is perfect!”

“It’s not hard to remember that you take a stupid amount of sugar in everything you consume, dumbass.” Kurogane poked him on the forehead. “Now don’t change the subject. What’s the molehill this time?”

Fai buried his face in his mug with a theatrical sigh that sent a cloud of steam up from the hot tea. He pulled back with his nose wrinkled and his glasses fogged.

“Oh, you know, just the fact that I’m a disappointment to everyone who has ever loved me,” he groused, pulling the glasses off and setting them aside. Kurogane raised an eyebrow at that cryptic remark. He was sure that nothing Fai could do could make Yūi any less ride or die for his brother. And as for Kurogane himself… well, it was better not to tumble down that mental rabbit hole while he was around Fai. Kurogane glanced at Yūi and gestured for him to explain. Yūi sighed deeply.

“What Fai means to say, is that our father is coming to visit us next week before he goes off on another one of his lengthy research trips, and he always asks us probing questions about our personal lives before becoming very sad when there isn’t anything to tell.” Yūi put his chin in his hand and flipped the other one with a sardonic smile. “He worries about us like we’re still two starving orphans he found in a dumpster in Moscow.”

Kurogane had heard the twins joke about their horrific backstory before, but it never grew less weird. That Yūi was only slightly exaggerating the truth didn’t help.

“If he worries so much about both of you, then why aren’t you freaking out about it?” He pointed at Yūi. Fai snorted into his mug.

“Father has given up on nagging Yūi about finding a partner, so he focuses all of his energy on me.”

“What Fai means to say is that Father respects that I am content being single, but knows that Fai is a hopeless romantic and still hopes for a handsome prince and-slash-or princess to sweep him off his feet.”

There was a muffled thump under the table, and Yūi cursed, shooting his brother a betrayed look. Fai stuck his tongue out playfully, but he quickly sobered again.

“He’ll be so unhappy when I’m forced to confess that I’m single this time,” he sighed. Kurogane raised an eyebrow.

“‘This time’?” He was almost positive that Fai hadn’t been dating anyone the last time Ashura visited his sons, nor the time before that. Not that he was paying attention or anything. Yūi giggled at the sheepish expression that set up camp on Fai’s face.

“I… may have led him to believe that… there was someone I was… interested in pursuing. And that I had made more progress at that than I have — er, would have, were there anyone.” Fai’s voice grew quieter and quieter as he hid his face further into his mug, eventually throwing it back and draining the contents in a long pull that made his throat bob under pale skin. Kurogane made sure not to stare. He didn’t like the knowing looks Yūi sometimes gave him. Yūi rolled his eyes.

“I played along the last few times because I thought Fai would nut up and —  _ ouch! Fai, _ stop kicking me!” Yūi glowered and scooted his chair away from his brother, then drew his long legs up so his shins rested against the edge of the table. “This is why I’m not gonna cover for you anymore! You’re such a brat!”

“You can’t call me that, I’m older than you!” Fai leaned his chair back and peered under the table, probably to kick Yūi again.

“You don’t know that!”

“Shut up, both of you!” Kurogane snapped. The twins quieted and turned two expectant gazes on him, so he gave Fai an unamused look. The man straightened and let the front two legs of his chair fall back to the linoleum floor with a dull thump. “Why don’t you tell your dad you lost interest or something?”

Yūi muttered something under his breath and Fai’s face went slightly pink. Kurogane opened his mouth, about to push for an answer to his question, but the hallway door flew open and Tomoyo chose that moment to waltz in. So much for the lounge being faculty-only.

“There you are!” she rushed over and gave him a quick hug. “You weren’t in your office, so I figured I’d find you here. Hello, Fai-sensei and Yūi-sensei!”

“Hello, Tomoyo-chan!” both blonds chorused like the creepy  _ Shining _ twins they were. She beamed before wrapping both of her dainty hands in a death grip around Kurogane’s bicep and turning the full weight of her gaze onto him.

“You still haven’t given Kendappa your RSVP for the wedding! Obviously  _ you’re _ coming—”

“What do you mean, ‘obviously’? I could be busy!” Kurogane interrupted. Tomoyo merely gave him a flat look.

“Don’t be silly. You couldn’t get out of attending your second-favorite cousin’s wedding if you tried.” Nobody bothered to interrupt her and ask who Kurogane’s first favorite cousin was. “But the important thing is, who’s your plus one gonna be?”

Kurogane blinked. “I don’t have one.”

Tomoyo pouted and pulled away to cross her arms. “Seriously? You’ve known about this for months! I already had Mom make sure there was a place for you to bring one, but we need the names for the place cards.” She raised one eyebrow in a subtle gesture of mockery. “And do you  _ really _ want to go to another family gathering without a date? Remember what happened at Christmas?”

Kurogane felt the blood drain from his face. “That was five months ago! Surely she can’t still be obsessing about it?”

Tomoyo raised her other eyebrow and Kurogane silently conceded that, yes, she could. Fai perked up, sensing an opportunity to tease Kurogane.

“What happened at Christmas?” He leaned forward over the table and fixed Tomoyo with a look of mischievous glee. Apparently, all he needed to forget his woes was to hear about Kurogane’s.

“Nothing happened!” Kurogane barked, but Tomoyo talked over him as she always did.

“Mom and Aunt Tsubame were talking about how I’m the only one around to keep Kurogane company most times, and so they started making a list of all their friends with sons around his age who are single. It was an extensive list!”

“Aww, they’re so worried about Kuro-puu that they’ve turned into a couple of Yentas!” Fai cooed, resting his chin in his hands. Kurogane growled in annoyance, but nobody paid him any attention. Tomoyo giggled at Fai.

“Kurogane got them off his back then because Mom was drunk and Aunt Tsubame was more worried about keeping her under control than teasing him.” She looked over her shoulder at Kurogane and graced him with an angelic smile. “However, I happen to know that some of those family friends’ sons will be at the wedding since Onee-san grew up with them. Not to mention the young men from Sōma-san’s side of the aisle.”

Kurogane groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, leaning back in his chair. “So if I don’t show up with a date, my mother and Aunt Sonomi will spend the entire reception trying to set me up.”

“I guarantee they will rearrange the seating to put you next to whoever they like best.” Tomoyo’s voice held far too much glee for Kurogane’s comfort. With a screech of chair legs against the linoleum, he stood and gathered his and Fai’s empty tea mugs. He didn’t want to listen to Tomoyo’s teasing about the wedding when the only person he would consider taking was there egging her on.

“Kuro-chan, where are you going?” Fai asked as Kurogane set the mugs in the sink.

“My office. I’ve got some paperwork to do.”

“But you hate paperwork!” Fai whined.

“Better than listening to the two of you make fun of me.”

“Aww, so grumpy!” Fai grinned up at Kurogane. “Are we still on for tonight?”

“‘Course. You’d better not be late again.”

Fai’s grin grew even brighter as an unapologetic laugh escaped him. “I said I was sorry, Kuro-rin! I can’t control traffic!”

Kurogane sighed and turned to go. A small hand gripping his wrist stopped him before he could open the door, however.

“Kendappa needs an answer by tomorrow, Kurogane,” Tomoyo said. “The wedding’s only two weeks away.” Kurogane huffed and pulled his hand away before raising it to ruffle the hair atop her head.

“Thanks, Tomoyo. See you at home.” He nodded to the twins and left the lounge.

* * *

Fai and Kurogane had met for drinks every other Friday night since two months after Fai had gotten hired at Horitsuba Gakuen, and Fai had only been late a handful of times — usually because he couldn’t decide what to wear. At this point in their friendship, it was probably useless to continue trying to catch Kurogane’s eye with cute outfits, but Fai was a fool whose hopes sprung eternal.

“So that was an interesting conversation we had with Kurogane earlier,” Yūi said from where he leaned on the doorframe to Fai’s bedroom. Fai didn’t bother looking at him, torn between a heather gray henley and a powder blue button-up. He knew what his brother was doing, and he didn’t want to have this discussion right before he went to meet with the man in question.

“Seems to me you both have similar problems,” Yūi continued, because he was a cruel man with no mercy for his poor brother’s heart, “with a single, obvious solution. Also, wear that button-up. It brings out your eyes.”

Just to be contrary, Fai shoved the button-up back into his closet and tugged the henley on over his head.

“What, exactly, are you suggesting?” He combed his fingers through his hair, having messed it up putting the shirt on.

“You know exactly what I’m suggesting. Grow a pair and ask Kurogane out!” Yūi threw his hands in the air. “He likes you! You like him! Why are you two still dancing around each other?”

Fai sighed. They’d had this conversation before, and it always went the same way.

“Why can’t you let me pine in peace?” he whined. “Kuro-pon is my friend, yes, but he’s never said anything that would make me think he wants any more than that.”

“Fai, look at me.” Yūi waited until Fai obeyed before continuing. “ _ I _ am Kurogane’s friend.  _ Fūma _ is Kurogane’s friend.  _ Yūko, _ God help us, is Kurogane’s friend. You? You are way more than Kurogane’s friend. I have never seen that man do half the shit that he does for anyone else but you, let alone look at anyone the way he looks at you.”

“Yūi—”

“Ah, let me finish. Kurogane doesn’t know how I like my tea, or even that I prefer coffee.  _ I _ had to ask  _ him _ for advice for which alcohol you’d want at your birthday party, and it’s a good thing I did because otherwise, I would have bought the strongest vodka I could find. You’re a disgrace to Mother Russia, by the way.” Yūi gave Fai a stern look, half for preferring sake to vodka and half to make sure he was listening. “Trust me, Fai, if you ask him out, he’ll say yes. He hasn’t said anything, because neither of you knows how to have an adult conversation about feelings.”

Fai gave his brother a sardonic grin. “I thought being an adult meant not having to have conversations about feelings.”

“Nevermind, just keep suffering.” Yūi rolled his eyes before glancing at the clock on Fai’s nightstand. “You’d better go before you’re late again.”

With a quick hug and a promise to text if they were out later than usual, Fai ran out the door and set off for the bar. The spring air was cool enough that Fai was glad for his long sleeves.

Kurogane was already sitting at their usual two-top in the far corner of the room, facing the door. Fai wove through the thick Friday evening crowd to meet him. Snagging the free chair, he tugged it out from under Kurogane’s feet and dragged it around so he was sitting next to the man instead of across from him.

“I’m not even late this time, and you’ve already started without me!” Fai had to raise his voice a little over the din. Kurogane gave him a careless shrug, took another pull from his beer, and handed him a second, full bottle. Fai cheered and gratefully took a long gulp.

Despite the noise, they managed a conversation between easy silences. Though Kurogane wasn’t what anyone would call a huge gossip, he was content to let Fai rattle on about all the school’s interpersonal politics he was privy to — and, as Yūko’s friend and partner in shenanigans, he was privy to quite a lot. Fai appreciated how easy it was to talk to Kurogane. Teasing the man was a lot of fun, but sitting with him and only talking loud enough to be heard was nice too. The little exasperated grin Kurogane tried to hide as he scolded Fai for yet another minor explosion during a chemistry demo made Fai’s head lighter than any alcohol could. He grinned back before ducking his head and picking at the label on his second beer bottle of the night.

Maybe Yūi was on to something. Kurogane did spend a lot of time with Fai, both at work and outside of it. Maybe he’d be okay with them spending… a little more time together. Not that Fai believed Kurogane would want to date him — he’d heard from more than one partner in the past that he had too many issues, was too high-strung, didn’t take things seriously enough, or wasn’t the kind of person someone would settle down with. Kurogane had never said anything like that to Fai, but he’d never reciprocated Fai’s blatant flirting, either.

That didn’t mean they couldn’t do a bit of play-acting, right?

“Say, Kuro-puu, I had an idea.” He glanced sidelong at Kurogane, who paused with his beer halfway to his mouth.

“Not sure I like the sound of that,” he said. “Your ideas tend to involve either playing pranks or causing explosions.”

“It’s neither, I promise!” Fai waved his hand as if to sweep away Kurogane’s objections. “It’s related to what we were talking about earlier in the staff lounge.”

Kurogane set down his beer and gave Fai an expectant look, heavily tempered with annoyance. “If you’re going to make fun of me—”

“No, no, that’s not what I was gonna say!” Fai shook his head. “I was thinking something more like… us helping each other out.”

“How so?”

“Well, I could go to the wedding with you and, in return, you come to dinner with me, Yūi, and Father.” Fai held up a placating hand at Kurogane’s look of alarm. “I know, probably not your first choice, but hear me out. We just have to pretend that we decided to try dating after being friends for so long. It can’t be that hard!”

Kurogane’s shoulders, which had been creeping upwards as his expression grew more alarmed, sagged the moment the word “pretend” left Fai’s mouth. Fai might be a little insulted that Kurogane was so shocked at Fai asking him out, but whatever. He had bigger problems.

“So what happens after your father leaves and the wedding is over?”

“Well, I guess we can just tell people we decided that we work better being friends.”

Kurogane’s mouth tightened into the expression he made when he was thinking hard about something. His index finger tapped against the glass of his beer bottle for nearly a minute before he sighed and took a long drink.

“Yeah, why the hell not?” he said. “My family already likes you, so that’ll probably thwart their matchmaking attempts.”

Fai blinked. “They do?”

“You and your brother spent New Year’s Eve with me and my parents, dipshit. They made me invite you two.” Kurogane rolled his eyes. “Of course they like you.”

“Oh.” A warm sensation curled in Fai’s chest at the thought, and he was pretty sure it wasn’t because of the alcohol. “That’s good to hear. I like your family too.”

They were quiet after that, long enough for both to finish their second beer, before Fai spoke again.

“So how do you want to do this?”

“What do you mean?” Kurogane side-eyed him.

“We need to be convincing if we want people to believe we’re a couple, so we’ll have to do couple-y stuff. A little PDA, maybe a practice date or two? I don’t know what you’re willing to do.” Fai was sure he’d have little trouble making his part of the act convincing, but he worried that he’d play the part too well. He might get too used to it and let something slip, and then Kurogane would know. He’d know about the feelings Fai had tried to keep to himself for years. Their easy friendship would end and the stilted awkwardness that would replace it would break Fai’s heart. Kurogane was too loyal to cut Fai out of his life — even if that were possible with how closely they worked.

The man in question studied him, so Fai did his best to look like his heart wasn’t currently lodged behind his tonsils.

“I don’t think I’d be good at… initiating… all that PDA stuff.” Kurogane’s cheeks reddened. “But you’re always hanging off of me anyway, so no one would find it weird if you did more of that.”

Fai nodded, glad that Kurogane had long since given up on his futile efforts to keep Fai from hugging him.

“And maybe we should try going on a… a date.” the red flush grew stronger as Kurogane stumbled over the word. Fai resisted the urge to coo at Kurogane, but only because embarrassing him now would not be conducive to getting his desired outcome. Instead, he gave Kurogane an enthusiastic nod.

“We could try going to a nice restaurant instead of a bar for once,” he offered. Kurogane sighed, but he nodded.

“How about tomorrow night? I’ll find a place.”

Fai knew that meant that he would ask Tomoyo to help him find a place, but that was fine. If Fai had to choose, he’d probably choose the most overtly romantic and expensive place he could find, and the jig would be up immediately.

“That sounds great, Kuro-koi!” He burst into a giggle fit when Kurogane’s receding blush returned full force.

“I hope you know that I’m not paying for your meal!” Kurogane shouted loud enough that a few of their fellow patrons glanced over to see what the commotion was, but Fai waved a dismissive hand.

“No, it’s my treat. I asked you out.” He winked. Kurogane buried his face in his hands for all of five seconds before going up to the bar with a muttered wish for stronger liquor.

* * *

Kurogane wanted to go back in time to just before he left for the bar and punch himself in the face. Hell, he might even skip the time travel and do it anyway. What was he thinking, saying yes to that moron’s idiotic suggestion? And really, it was just his luck that when the man finally suggested that they stop dancing around each other and go on a date, it was with a great big asterisk and an “only for pretend” caveat.

Emotions were bullshit and Kurogane was tired of them.

Tomoyo thought it was hilarious. Since she lived with him during the school year, rather than in the dormitories, she had been privy to the entire saga of Kurogane going from hating his annoying new coworker to befriending and eventually falling ass over teakettle for him. She often claimed she had known from the beginning that it would turn out this way, but Kurogane ignored her when she did. No middle schooler was that good at reading people, no matter how prescient Tomoyo could be sometimes.

Tomoyo disappeared into her room with a vague and worrying promise to “make some calls,” and when she exited, she gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up.

“I got you a reservation for two tomorrow night. Nothing too fancy, but don’t wear your usual stuff. At least try to make a good impression.”

“He already knows me, Tomoyo. I think that ship has sailed.”

Despite that proclamation, however, Kurogane stood outside the restaurant the next night wearing an outfit Tomoyo had picked out for him. He felt a little foolish in a collared shirt and pressed slacks, but he could admit in the privacy of his mind that he trusted her fashion judgment more than his own. He leaned back against the wall next to the doorway with his arms crossed. Though he had intended to arrive right at their agreed time so he wouldn’t appear too eager, Tomoyo had shoved him out the door almost as soon as he’d finished tucking in his shirt. She told him he was giving her secondhand jitters from all his pacing, which he hadn’t been doing. He was just… apprehensive. This was Kurogane’s shot at getting Fai to see him as more than just a friend to get drunk with.

“Kuro-tan!”

Kurogane perked up and glanced to his right at the distinctive sound of Fai’s voice. The chemistry teacher was barely visible through the crowd, but his arm waved frantically above his head and his platinum blond hair shone in the light of the streetlamps. Kurogane straightened up.

“Kuro-tan, you look very nice!” Fai rushed up to him and wrapped a hand around Kurogane’s bicep before craning his neck up to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Tomoyo’s work, I presume?”

Kurogane’s brain screeched to a halt and could only manage a single nod and a strangled hum of assent, but Fai didn’t notice. Somehow, Kurogane hadn’t considered the possibility that Fai would be committed enough to their act to kiss him. He had assumed that any touching that they did would be along the same lines of what they already did. Fai already hugged Kurogane and sat in his lap all the time. He didn’t kiss people, though. Despite the European stereotypes, Kurogane had never seen Fai greet anyone with a kiss on the cheek. The spot where Fai’s soft lips had brushed Kurogane’s cheek felt like a physical mark on his skin. He prayed that he wasn’t blushing.

“I’ve never been here, but Yūi’s met the head chef before. He says she trained in France for two years before she came back to Japan. But don’t worry, he also told me that most of the dishes here are dairy free, so you should be safe to order almost anything.” Fai pulled open the door and ushered Kurogane in, chattering the entire time as the hostess showed them to a cozy table. Kurogane didn’t tune him out, per se, but he let the man’s words wash over him without really focusing on them specifically. He was more interested in the excited tone of voice and the delighted smile on Fai’s face. It might have been Kurogane’s imagination, but it looked like Fai had put more effort into his appearance than usual. His hair, though never unkempt, sat combed to the side in an artful swoop that got his bangs out of his blue eyes. Kurogane appreciated the effort — blue eyes were rare enough in Japan as it was, but he found Fai’s particular icy shade especially stunning.

At the moment, those blue eyes were squinting in frustration at the menu.

“I can’t believe I left my reading glasses at home!” Fai lamented. “I remembered everything else, but then Yūi shoved me out the door and I didn’t think to grab them!”

“You could just ask for a recommendation,” Kurogane pointed out, “Or I could read it off for you.”

“No, no, I’m fine. I’m not so old I can’t read without my stupid glasses.” He paused, then pointed at one character. “Does that say ‘water,’ or ‘dog’?”

Kurogane glanced at it and snorted. “Neither.”

Fai sighed and looked like he was gearing up for a dramatic rant when a waiter set a glass of water in front of each of them.

“Good evening, Kurogane-sensei. Fluorite-sensei.”

Both looked up at their waiter in surprise.

“Oh, Tōya-kun! I didn’t know you worked here! Good evening!” Fai chirped. Kurogane nodded at him. Tōya shrugged.

“I have a few part-time jobs. Do you two want anything besides water to drink?” He asked. Fai ordered them a bottle of white wine to share. It had a complicated name that Kurogane didn’t bother paying attention to. Between the two of them, Fai was far more knowledgeable about wine. Kurogane suspected that this was an unavoidable side effect of being the twin of someone who had a master’s degree in culinary arts. Tōya nodded before disappearing again.

“It’s nice to see him again. Sakura-chan has told me a bit about what he’s been up to since he graduated, but it’s not the same.” Fai propped his chin on his hands. “He was always such a diligent student, too. I’ll have to ask him how he’s doing at university.”

Kurogane hummed and fiddled with his napkin. He was out of his depth here and unsure why. He’d been on dates before, and he spent a good portion of his waking hours with Fai. Neither circumstance made him this nervous about fucking up. Somehow, combining the two was enough to make him grit his teeth, unable to come up with any conversational topics that didn’t sound moronic.

And that was the other thing. Normally, he was content to sit in companionable silence or let Fai fill it, only responding when he had something worth saying. Nothing about Fai’s comment warranted a response from Kurogane, yet here he sat fretting over his own silence.

“You did something different with your hair tonight,” he blurted, and he had to resist the urge to slap a hand over his mouth. The way Fai perked up at the compliment assuaged his embarrassment, however.

“Oh, you noticed!” Fai reached up as if to touch his bangs but aborted the movement with a grimace. “Yūi made me sit on the bathtub and attacked me with a comb. He told me I couldn’t go on a date with my second favorite person after him — his words, not mine — looking like I have sparrows nesting on my head.”

Kurogane cleared his throat, unsure how to address the idea that he came second in Fai’s favor only to the man’s twin brother. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it that neat before.”

Fai nodded. Kurogane thought his smile looked a little strained. “It’s a bit more effort than I usually go in for.”

Silence returned to the table, and Kurogane focused on the menu. Fai picked his back up too, but set it down again with a frustrated sigh a moment later.

“I’ll just ask Tōya-kun what he recommends,” he said. Kurogane hummed to show he’d heard. As if on cue, Tōya came back with their wine and a well-rehearsed spiel about the night’s specials. It took a good five minutes of waffling before Fai decided what he wanted to eat, but Tōya finally got their orders written down. He tucked the notepad away and nodded to them with a brief smile.

“Sakura tells me what you and the other teachers get up to since I graduated, but she didn’t bother to let me know you’d finally started dating. Congrats.” He walked away before either of them could think of a response.

“Well, I suppose that cat’s out of the bag,” Fai said. Kurogane grunted and hid his face in his wineglass. Unsurprisingly, Fai had chosen well. It was dry and not too fruity, which was what Kurogane preferred, though he still liked red more than white, and sake more than either. Fai fiddled with the napkin on his lap, and Kurogane wondered if he was nervous. It seemed stupid for either of them to be on edge. They’d known each other for years now and had been close friends for most of it.

“Tomoyo has told me that if she doesn’t get to make your outfit for the wedding, she’ll be very insulted,” Kurogane said. “So talk to her on Monday about what you want.”

Fai’s gaze had snapped back to Kurogane the moment he started talking, and he let out a strangled sound. “What?”

“I’m just giving you a fair warning. Kendappa and Sōma both got full wedding kimono, but there’s no dress code for the guests. Tomoyo would love to put you in a kimono too, though.”

“Oh, oh. That. Right.” Fai blew out a long breath for reasons Kurogane couldn’t fathom. “I think I’d enjoy wearing a kimono, but… I don’t know how to put one on correctly.”

“That’s fine, I can help.” Kurogane considered the act of helping Fai put on a formal kimono… and likely taking it off. Heat immediately flooded his cheeks, and he ducked his head to watch the condensation drip down the side of his water glass. “… Or Tomoyo can.”

“You — you can do it. That’s fine.” Fai sounded choked again, but he launched into another meaningless topic of conversation before Kurogane could look at him.

Their dinner came and Fai kept talking. Kurogane occasionally replied, but between the excellent food and Fai’s ability to carry on a conversation with an inanimate object, he remained mostly silent. The cadence of the blond’s chatter and the way he zigzagged between topics told Kurogane that he was still on edge. This didn’t help Kurogane’s nerves, but he repressed them long enough to finish the meal and let Fai pay the check. They stood to leave, and Kurogane offered his arm. Since he knew he would end up with Fai hanging off it anyway, he might as well put on a good show. Fai smiled and took it.

“Fluorite-sensei! Kurogane-sensei!” A soft but eager voice called to them. Both looked to see Tsukishiro Yukito hurrying towards them with a bussing bin under his arm. “Tōya told me you were here on a date, and I wanted to say hello!”

Fai greeted the young man cheerfully, and Kurogane gave him a friendly nod.

“Is it your anniversary?” Yukito smiled up at them as he filled the bin with their dishes and silverware.

“Um. No, this is our first official date,” Fai said as Kurogane squinted at Yukito in confusion. First Tōya, and now him. Did every student he’d ever taught know how he felt about Fai?

Oh, God, did their coworkers? The witch who called herself the principal already teased him about it, which was insufferable enough.

Yukito blinked, wrongfooted, and tilted his head. “Really? So the whole time Tōya and I were students…?”

Both men shook their heads. Yukito blinked again, looking like a startled rabbit.

“Oh, I apologize for assuming. But I’m thrilled for you two now! Congratulations!”

“It’s no problem, Yukito-kun. It’s good to see you.” Fai gave Yukito a reassuring smile, which he returned before hurrying back to the kitchen with the dishes. They stood there and watched him go. Fai barked out a short laugh and ran a hand back through his hair, destroying the neat style it had been in. “Well, that’s embarrassing.”

“What is?”

“Some of our students already think we’re dating. I wonder how many.”

Kurogane grunted and headed for the door. Fai was content to cling to his arm as he followed, still talking. “Oh well, at least that’ll make it easier to get people to believe us.”

“Only if Kinomoto and Tsukishiro don’t tell the others how awkward that was,” Kurogane said.

“Yes, it seemed a little out of our mutual comfort zone,” Fai hummed. “It was nice, but I think I prefer getting you drunk at a bar.”

“Oh, thank God.” Kurogane’s shoulders sagged in relief. “Let’s go find one now.”

Fai’s laughter shouldn’t have made Kurogane feel so warm inside since it was at his expense, but the chill of the late May evening barely registered as they walked to the nearest bar.

* * *

The following week at school was awkward in many new and interesting ways. On Monday morning before classes began, Tomoyo found the two of them in Kurogane’s office discussing their plans for Friday night’s dinner with Fai’s father. She also brought her friends.

“Hello!” Sakura greeted them both with an enthusiastic bow that made her hair bounce. Syaoran gave them a more reserved greeting from behind her, while Tomoyo hugged Kurogane as if he hadn’t driven her to school less than an hour before.

“Tōya and Yukito-kun told me they saw you on Saturday night!” Sakura gushed. “I’m so happy for you two!”

Syaoran echoed her sentiments in his usual reserved and polite fashion. Both teachers thanked the kids, though Fai later confessed to Kurogane that Sakura’s enthusiasm made him feel guiltier about the lie than anything else could.

Several of their coworkers came up to them throughout the week, and their congratulations always seemed to involve some variation on the sentiment that it was “about time” and they “knew it would happen one day” and that Fai and Kurogane had “lost them the chance at winning the betting pool because it took so long.”

Well, that last part was just from Mihara-sensei, whose beleaguered TA had dragged him away after that.

Yūko had cornered the two in the staff lounge on Wednesday, given them a long, silent look, and proclaimed that they were both idiots who deserved each other. Once she left, Yūi confessed that she had somehow figured out they were faking the relationship, but Tomoyo had convinced the principal it would be more fun to play along for the time being. She could wait to tease them until after the wedding and their “break-up.” Kurogane muttered that he lived in fear of the day Tomoyo was old enough to drink with Yūko.

By the time Friday rolled around, Fai thoroughly regretted ever suggesting this scheme. Yūi kept giving him  _ that look _ . The look of exasperated siblings everywhere. The look that told Fai, “I love you, and I would help you hide a body, but sometimes I despair over the fact that we’re related.” Fai had earned that look countless times over his lifetime, for a multitude of reasons, but never this many times in a week.

When Fai had returned from the bar the previous Friday, he’d been excited to tell his brother that he’d followed his advice, sort of. Fai had put his spin on the idea, but it was nearly the same thing. Instead, Yūi had given him the most blatant look of disbelief, declared that Fai was the biggest idiot ever to earn a master’s degree, and refused to speak to him for the rest of the night. If Fai was being honest with himself — something he avoided whenever possible — that hurt a little. It had seemed like a genius idea when he’d suggested it.

Now, a week later and less than an hour until dinner with their father and Fai’s fake boyfriend, Fai had to concede that Yūi had been right.

The other, more important reason that he was slowly going insane was Kurogane. Fai was very used to draping himself across the other man and teasing him, but now he found himself second-guessing every action. Was an arm around the shoulder too much? Was teasing Kurogane about how good he looked in his gym clothes going too far? It was nothing Fai hadn’t done before, but now everything took on another layer of meaning. Kurogane was his best friend. The last thing Fai wanted to do was make him uncomfortable. Even setting aside his deeper feelings for Kurogane, Fai valued the friendship they had.

They’d had a conversation about boundaries after their “date.” They had both agreed that PDA in front of the students was a bad idea, but the rest of the school’s faculty would probably expect some affection between them. After obtaining Kurogane’s permission, Fai had taken to giving him small pecks on the cheek or, if Kurogane was sitting, on the forehead. The last few times Fai had pressed into Kurogane’s side and laid a hand on his spine, the man had returned the gesture with one of his glorious arms across Fai’s slim shoulders. The weight of it was comforting, and it was driving Fai crazy how natural it all felt. He’d had to bite back an “I love you” at least once a day since Monday.

This was a terrible idea.

Fai was doomed.

“Fai, would you quit panicking and just set the damn table?” Yūi called from the kitchen.

“I’m not panicking!” Fai scowled and yanked open the silverware drawer with enough force to make the utensils inside rattle. “Do you think I should give Kuro-pii a pair of chopsticks?”

“Fai, I don’t care how much you love that man, I will  _ not _ allow him to eat my spaghetti bolognese with chopsticks.”

It took less than ten minutes to set the table, so Yūi made Fai put together the salad to keep him busy. By the time someone knocked on their door, he’d dressed and plated the salad, set out fresh warm bread, and Yūi had just put the spaghetti into a large pot of boiling water. A bowl of grated parmesan sat on the table and, because Yūi took pride in his work, a bottle of Italian red wine sat breathing in a decanter.

“I’ll get it!” Fai called, rushing for the door. He pushed his bangs to the side, smoothed the front of his button-down, and pulled open the door. “Hello!”

“Fai, it’s so good to see you again,” Ashura said, stepping inside when Fai moved to let him by. Fai waited until he toed off his black wingtip shoes and set his suitcase aside before pulling his father into a hug. Ashura let out a warm laugh and embraced him back.

“It’s great to have you here, Father. How was your train ride? I bet you’re hungry after all that traveling,” Fai rambled. His father patted him on the back and pulled away.

“The train was fine, and you’re right. I’m starving.” He turned to embrace Yūi, who had emerged from the kitchen. “It smells delicious.”

Yūi grinned at the compliment. “Thanks. Here, let’s take your luggage to the guest room while the pasta finishes cooking.”

The sound of a fist rapping on the frame of the open front door made Fai whirl around. There, on the house’s tiny front porch, Kurogane stood dressed much as he had during dinner last Saturday. He wasn’t frowning, but he looked slightly embarrassed to have interrupted. Fai smiled and reached out. Grabbing Kurogane’s wrist, he pulled the man over the threshold and into a hug.

“Kuro-rin! You’re early!” He pulled one arm away to gesture at Ashura. “This is Yūi’s and my Father. Father, this is Kuro-tan.”

Kurogane tugged sharply on a lock of Fai’s hair before bowing to Ashura. “I’m Kurogane Yōō, but I usually go by my family name.”

It didn’t escape Fai’s notice that as soon as Kurogane straightened, he slid his arm across Fai’s shoulders. Ashura smiled and returned the bow.

“Fai has told me a lot about you. I’m so glad you two are finally together.”

“Father!” Fai whined. If Ashura mentioned to Kurogane even a fraction of what Fai had gushed about him over the years, he’d be screwed. Kurogane would immediately know about Fai’s hopeless crush. Then Fai would have no choice but to fling himself in front of a train like Anna Karenina. Ashura just chuckled.

“It’s nothing to get embarrassed about, son.” He grabbed his suitcase and headed for the guest room with Yūi right behind him.

“Um. Sorry.” Fai tilted his head back to meet Kurogane’s eyes. “But in my defense, it’s perfectly natural to tell your parents about your best friend.”

Kurogane didn’t look annoyed, or mad, or even perturbed. He merely nodded and pulled his arm away. “Is there anything I can help with?”

Fai gave him a relieved smile and shook his head. “No, but the food should be ready soon. Yūi will kill me if I mess with his pasta.”

He brought them over to the dining table and carefully maneuvered Kurogane so he sat next to Fai and across from Yūi’s preferred seat, which was nearest to the kitchen. Kurogane had agreed to pretend to Ashura’s face that he and Fai were dating. That didn’t mean he deserved the full force of Ashura’s attention, and Fai hoped that seating the two as far from each other as possible would help distract his father.

It didn’t take long for Ashura and Yūi to come back from the guest room, and Yūi immediately returned to his spaghetti.

“So, Kurogane-san. You’re the Physical Education teacher at the school, correct?” Ashura unfolded his napkin and laid it across his lap. At Kurogane’s nod, he hummed. “How did you decide you wanted to do that as a career?”

Fai wanted to slap his hand over his father’s mouth. He’d only learned the answer to that question by piecing together a multitude of smaller bits Kurogane had told him over the course of their friendship. He’d had to work for his information, damn it!

Kurogane shifted a little, trying to get comfortable on the wooden dining chair. He shrugged. “My father taught me kendo as a kid, and he wants me to take over his dojo when he retires. I already had a teaching certificate because of that. When the job at Horitsuba Gakuen opened up, I applied.” He grimaced a little. “If I had known just how weird the entire faculty is, especially the principal, I might not have taken the job.”

“Oh, Kuro-chan, Yūko-sensei’s fine. It’s Sakurazuka-sensei we need to worry about. You should never trust a biology teacher who smiles that much during the dissection units.” Fai put a hand on Kurogane’s shoulder and leaned over to catch his eye. “Besides, you wouldn’t have met me and Yūi if you didn’t work there, and your life would be so boring without us!”

“Maybe, but there would also be fewer explosions. The previous chemistry teacher wasn’t nearly as accident prone.” Kurogane smirked at him, so Fai gasped in mock offense. Before he could think of a suitably dramatic response, however, Yūi came out balancing four beautiful plates of pasta in his hands.

“Were you guys waiting for me?” he asked. “You could have started on your salads, at least.”

“It’s fine, Yūi. We weren’t waiting long.” Ashura accepted his plate with a grateful smile. They all picked up their forks to eat, and Fai encountered a problem he hadn’t considered. He had seated Kurogane to his left, so their dominant elbows crashed together as they both went to spear some pasta. He let out a surprised yelp.

“Oops! Sorry, Kuro-pon!” Fai switched his fork to his right hand and put his left on Kurogane’s elbow. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Kurogane said, easing his arm from Fai’s grasp. “Not like you haven’t done that before.”

“You’d think you two would remember by now that that happens.” Yūi’s voice was dry. “You eat lunch together nearly every day.”

“He usually eats with his right and grades papers with his left, though.” Kurogane shrugged. “And we get  _ izakaya _ when we go out together.”

Fai nodded. “We get a two-top at the bar, so there’s never room to sit right next to each other.” He went back to his pasta, intent on getting some into his mouth before the aroma made him drool on the table. He wasn’t very good at twirling the fork with his right hand, but he managed well enough. The sauce was thick with meat and tomato and full of spices. On his first bite, he closed his eyes to savor it.

“I can’t believe you two have been going out for regular date nights for years and you only started dating last week,” Yūi said. Fai choked a little as he swallowed, so Kurogane thumped him on the back as he coughed.

“We were just getting drinks together, Yūi! You even went with us a few times!” Fai wished he was across from his brother just so he could kick him under the table again. Yūi shrugged, not looking apologetic at all.

“Yeah, I did,” he sipped his wine, “and all three times you two made bedroom eyes at each other and left me to third-wheel. Consider this my revenge.”

“Yūi, our father is  _ right there! _ ” Fai hissed. “He doesn’t need to hear this!”

“Oh, don’t worry about me, Fai. He’s already complained about this to me on multiple occasions.”

Kurogane coughed into his hand, and it sounded suspiciously like how he did when he tried to suppress his laughter. Fai groaned and went back to eating. This was a terrible idea.

* * *

For as awkward as Kurogane felt, sitting at dinner with Fai’s father asking him questions about his life, the meal was delicious and he found that the experience was a lot more pleasant than Fai had made it sound like it would be. Ashura was very polite and more reserved than either of his sons. It made Kurogane wonder what, exactly, went wrong with those two. Fai was smiling beside him, but the tension around his eyes told Kurogane about his rising stress levels. Kurogane took advantage when Ashura turned to ask Yūi a question and put his hand on Fai’s arm.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. Fai darted a glance at him before looking back down at his plate. It was nearly empty, and he pushed around the last few noodles with the tines of his fork.

“I’m just waiting for something to go wrong, I guess.” A quiet sigh escaped him. “I expected more in the way of a thinly veiled interrogation from Father. That’s what he’s always done in the past when I’ve brought someone home.”

“Maybe he trusts your judgement better now that you’re past thirty, rather than a teenager.” Kurogane gave him a little smirk. “Though I wouldn’t blame him if he doesn’t.”

Fai smacked Kurogane’s shoulder. “You must realize you just insulted yourself there as well by implying it would be poor judgement to date you.”

“Oh my God, just kiss already,” Yūi groaned. Kurogane shot him an annoyed glare. Yūi knew they weren’t truly dating, but he kept saying things like that. What was he playing at?

“Yūi!” Fai hissed. His cheeks were bright red and his lower lip stuck out in a pout. Looking at him like that, Kurogane found he wanted to follow Yūi’s suggestion. He wouldn’t get many more chances to do so. He reached out and put his hand under Fai’s chin, turning his head to face him instead.

“May I?” Kurogane murmured. Fai’s eyes widened, and they darted down and back up to Kurogane’s eyes. He gave a small nod and leaned forward a little. Kurogane shifted his hand from Fai’s chin onto his cheek, which was still warm from his embarrassed blush. He leaned in and brushed their lips together.

Kurogane had imagined kissing Fai countless times over the years they’d known each other. He’d imagined kissing him with rough aggression to get him to shut up. He’d imagined kissing him with slow movements and gentle touches to show the idiot how much Kurogane cared about him. He’d imagined giving him chaste pecks in the hallways at work or in the staff lounge, just to remind Fai that he cared. What he hadn’t imagined was kissing him at a western-style dinner table, in an uncomfortable dining chair, while Fai’s family watched like a pair of voyeurs.

It was still better than he could have predicted. A simple press of lips, and Kurogane’s heart clenched with how much he wanted to deepen it, to pull Fai into his lap and hold him close. If they’d been alone, he might have followed through on that urge.

When he pulled away, Fai’s eyes were closed and his breathing was a little ragged. Kurogane grinned. After all the teasing he’d endured, it was nice to know that he could fluster Fai back.

“Wow,” Yūi breathed. Kurogane and Fai turned to him, and Kurogane dropped his hand from Fai’s face. The smile on Yūi’s face was pleased, but with a healthy dose of second-hand embarrassment. “You two are like teenagers.”

“Shut up,” Kurogane and Fai said simultaneously. Ashura had a tiny, pleased smile on his face that Kurogane didn’t know how to interpret.

When they had all finished eating, Yūi and Fai cleared the table with practiced efficiency. Ashura and Kurogane both moved to help, but the twins snatched their plates from their hands and told them to relax.

“Shall we move to the living room?” Ashura offered. The glint in his eyes made Kurogane uneasy, but there was no good way to decline. They ended up on opposite sides of the sofa.

“Are you gonna give me a shovel talk now or something?” Kurogane asked, raising an eyebrow at Ashura. The man kept smiling at him.

“I could,” he flipped a hand carelessly, “But I imagine Yūi has already done that for me.”

Kurogane shook his head. “He did when we first became friends, but since then he’s told us to get together at every opportunity.”

“So what took you so long?” Ashura’s dark eyes narrowed, and Kurogane sensed that he’d walked into a trap. He scratched the back of his neck and tried to hold eye contact.

“Uh. I mean, I’ve liked him for a long time, but I couldn’t tell if it was one-sided or not.” Kurogane hoped Fai couldn’t hear him. It was nice to tell someone how he felt about Fai, and it helped with their charade, but Fai knew him much better than Ashura did. Kurogane didn’t want him to hear the sincerity in his voice and make everything uncomfortable. “He likes to tease people, so it took me a long time to figure out that he meant it with me.”

Ashura nodded.

“Yes, Fai has always had trouble expressing his true emotions. I believe that, after all this time, he’s still scared of being abandoned.” Ashura’s smile dropped, and he leaned forward with his hands clasped in his lap. “Don’t let that fear become justified. Do you understand?”

This man didn’t intimidate Kurogane. Very few people did. He was, however, important to Fai in a way few other people were, so Kurogane had to tread carefully with him. He nodded as calmly as he could, rather than letting his annoyance rise to the surface.

“That’s not something he has to worry about from me. Unless he gets tired of me and tells me to fuck off forever, I’m not leaving.” He paused and considered that before amending his statement. “Maybe not even then. Sometimes he says shit like that and then complains when I listen to him.”

Ashura laughed, which Kurogane took as a good sign. He wondered if he should say something else, but the topic seemed settled. The silence stretched on. Ashura didn’t seem to see a need to fill it either.

Kurogane allowed himself a quiet sigh of relief when the twins finally left the kitchen to join them. Fai plopped onto the sofa between his father and Kurogane, tucking himself up under the latter’s arm and snuggling into his side. It was instinct by now for Kurogane to wrap his arm around Fai’s torso and rest his hand on Fai’s bony hip as they settled into their typical movie night pose. Yūi’s face held a smug smile as he watched them from the armchair next to Ashura. Fai stuck his tongue out in response.

“Boys, don’t fight.” Ashura’s tone was gentle, but both of his sons immediately got sheepish looks on their faces and murmured apologies. Kurogane huffed a laugh, reminded of how his mother could still draw the same contrition from him with a mere look.

They talked for the next hour about inconsequential topics for which Kurogane had very little input until Ashura switched topics from his upcoming research trip to embarrassing stories from Fai’s childhood. Yūi had told Kurogane some of these stories, but hearing about Fai’s penchant for finding trouble from a parent’s perspective was even better. In return, Kurogane told Ashura some of his  _ many _ stories of Fai’s antics as an adult. He described lab explosions, which Fai protested had taught his students a valuable lesson on what not to do. When Kurogane launched into a description of the incident during Field Day three years ago, Fai nearly smothered him to get him to shut up. Yūi sat nearby, laughing at his brother’s misfortune. Ashura had to move off the couch to avoid taking one of Fai’s flailing legs to the gut. Still, he wore an amused smile even as he settled on Yūi’s ottoman.

It was well past ten and Kurogane had swallowed at least five yawns by the time he got up to leave. Disentangling his limbs from Fai’s was always tricky because the man was approximately eighty percent leg, but he stood without tripping and headed for the door.

“Thank you for having me,” he said as he slipped his shoes back on. He gave Yūi a grateful nod. “And thank you for the food.”

Fai took Kurogane’s hand and stepped outside with him, shutting the door firmly behind himself.

“I hope Yūi doesn’t lock me out,” he murmured, chewing on his lip. He seemed nervous again, and Kurogane couldn’t figure out why. The night had gone well, and Ashura had bought their act without question. Fai’s eyes darted around, never landing on anything for long, before he took a deep breath and met Kurogane’s gaze. “I’m sorry if that was uncomfortable for you, Kuro-mun.”

Kurogane shook his head. “It was fine.”

A smile twitched at the corners of Fai’s lips. “You’re so much nicer than you want everyone else to believe.”

“Am not.” Kurogane scowled. “Or if I am, it’s only to people I like.”

Fai’s cheeks darkened with a soft pink blush. His hair gleamed golden in the yellow glow the porch light cast over him, and his eyes were shadowed and darker than Kurogane had ever seen them. Fai looked down at his bare feet.

“Kuro-tan, I… look. This entire night was a little stressful for me. I kept waiting for Father to call our bluff, or for Yūi to stop playing along like he always threatens to do.” The words left Fai in a rush, and Kurogane didn’t have time to wonder what the hell that last bit meant before he hurried on. “If you don’t want to have to worry about that at your cousin’s wedding, I’ll understand. We could just go as friends, or you could even go alone if you really want. You won’t offend me.”

As he spoke, Fai’s shoulders tensed until they were nearly up to his ears, and he wouldn’t meet Kurogane’s eyes.

“That’s stupid,” Kurogane bit out, trying not to let his frustration leak into his voice. “I did my part tonight, so if you think I’m letting you off the hook, you’re dumber than you act.”

Fai finally looked up again. Confusion made the line between his eyebrows furrow. Kurogane lifted a hand and poked him there.

“Besides, Mother would be sad if she didn’t get to see you again. She and Father like you so much that it won’t be any issue to fool them.” Kurogane carefully didn’t say that the entire ordeal would be much less frustrating with his best friend there with him.

Fai allowed a tiny smile to creep onto his face. He reached up and took Kurogane’s hand, pulling it to force Kurogane closer. “Okay, Kuro-pipi. As long as you don’t mind, I’m happy to help.” He craned his neck up and kissed Kurogane on the mouth again — another simple one, barely more than a peck. Kurogane wanted to put his hands on Fai’s jaw and pull him closer. He wanted to press their chests together and feel the other man’s body heat. He wanted to wrap his arms around Fai’s shoulders and never let go. Instead, he let his fingers curl around Fai’s where he still held his hand and wished that Fai could understand how he felt with that single gesture alone.

“Good night, Kuro-chan. I’ll see you on Monday.” Fai pulled away with a small smile before turning and heading back inside. Kurogane stood there, staring at the closed door. When he glanced at the window next to the door, he saw that the blinds were drawn shut. He wondered why Fai had kissed him when there was nobody to perform for.

For once, he didn’t force himself to stomp out the spark of hope that lit in his chest as he turned and headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually don't care for Camus's work, but the quote sure fit.
> 
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